bcl agreement needs to be reviewed: akoitai

http://www.bougainville-copper.eu/news-january-2011.html

20.01.2011
Source: Post-Courier


BCL agreement needs to be reviewed: Akoitai
By MOHAMMAD BASHIR


Only when the Bougainville Copper Agreement is reviewed to include parties like the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and landowners and a better understanding with the developer on benefits and addressing outstanding issues can the mine be re-opened successfully.
Regardless of the hype among shareholders and people sparked by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare?s intention to see the mine opened, it will never happen until all parties are involved.
Former Mining Minister Sam Akoitai believes BCL, the National Government and the ABG, must assist the landowners to establish landowner associations to participate in the mine. Reports from Buka yesterday indicate that six landowner groups have already registered their associations.
?Landowners are willing to open the mine but the Bougainville Copper Agreement must be reviewed to involve all parties because that is the issue that sparked the Bougainville crisis,? Mr Akoitai said yesterday, adding he was happy for the stand of ABG president John Momis.
He said economic recovery was paramount for Bougainville to take it to a stage of physical self reliance before issues of referendum can be discussed.
?Bougainville is not prepared well for referendum in 2015 because with about K30 million in recurrent expenditure from the national government and less than K10 million in internal revenue, we are nowhere close to physical self reliance and people must rise up to the benchmark,? Mr Akoitai said. He said leaders and the people were relaxed after the ABG but those perception were wrong because recurrent budget will increase from K30m-K50m when Bougainville draws power as capacity will increase.
?It is time to take the bull by the horns with determination to raise Bougainville to a level of physical self reliance because we have a long way to go,? he said.
Mr Akoitai also saluted the elders of Bougainville for imposing the moratorium on future explorations although there are more potential mines on the island.
He said BCL must be on the Government?s radar because during pre-independence up, Bougainville alone kept this country growing into what it is today.